>> You have decided to get some due rest, a moment of peace and quiet before the next part of your journey <<

---

[Day 2, Night]

“A quiet place would be nice,”

I answered, having taken a moment to think.

“I’d like to chill for a while before dealing with whatever trial we’ll have to go through next.”

Luda’s gaze didn’t move from the spectacle of crowds in front of us.

“Sounds good.” She spoke. “I don’t know if there’s a place like that around here, but it’ll be great to take a break from all this noise for a while.”

“Right? A quiet room or something… I don’t think there’s one that allows food inside, though.”

“Rather than that— Oh, looks like we’re here.”

Luda interrupted herself mid-sentence as she turned to me.

Before I knew it, we were already at the plaza in the middle of the commercial district, where our transit network stop directly exited to.

“Then,” I mentioned.

Looking for the stairs in the corner of the square,

There she is.

By the entrance to Becavry station, a slender, cyan liquid figure rested her back on the railing lining the cavity of the tunnel.

“Let’s go.” Luda motioned towards her.

The crowds weren’t as dense in this particular time of the night, so we quickly approached her position without trouble. Neither of us felt like calling out her name loudly, which was a relief for me, all things considered.

Pulling the coat tighter around her, Carthena straightened her posture as soon as she saw us coming over.

“How did it go?” The Mun Shaen asked.

“Selling our monster parts? It went well, for the most part.” I answered.

Luda peered into the tote bag set on the ground by the railing, finding the plastic container and little else.

“How about you, Carthena?” Her eyes moved to the alchemist’s face. “How did the forging go?”

In response, Carthena tilted her head in a sort of half-shrugging expression, letting out a sigh.

“It went pretty well.”

A slight grin appeared on her face.

“Been a while since I had to design something as no-nonsense as this, but that’s Human forging for you.”

Anticipation welled up within me, and Luda looked excited as well.

“So…?” I asked.

“We should take this somewhere else.” Carthena stopped us short. “Taking out a high-grade weapon in public isn’t the wisest move, is it?”

If it was just transferring the item between our inventories, it wouldn’t be a problem; however, the big reveal should be done before our own eyes, and all three of us knew that.

Even so,

High grade…!?

I knew the Accolade was strong, but upgrading straight into that level is insane!

“Sure.” Luda nodded her head.

“I happen to know a place with less people, actually.”

Picking the tote bag up, Carthena suggested.

“It’s a really famous park in the city, just a few blocks over. There shouldn’t be a lot of people there this time of the day.”

“Okay,” I nodded.

Looking at Luda,

“That sounds like a good place to rest as well, right?”

“Should be,” She agreed. “As long as there aren’t bugs flying around and landing on our food.”

“That’s settled, then.”

The Mun Shaen smiled.

“Becavry Green is one of the favourite spots in the city for many people, myself included. You won’t regret making time for it.”

With Carthena leading the way, the three of us left the plaza in the opposite direction of where Bia Yingtal was, walking towards what looked like the centre of the city.

Exchanging looks with each other, Luda and I kept quiet about our confusion and continued following her.

---

Contrary to the myriad of tall buildings that made up the heart of Mara Artemis, what came into our view in between the stone pillars of the concrete jungle was a large expanse of grassland, paved with dirt walkways and decorated exhibits of various flowers and trees.

Becavry Green was, according to Carthena, the most famous park in the city, and it is far from the smallest despite its location. The long-lasting nightlife has allowed the park to be open at all times, though some parts do close off periodically, for maintenance and renovation purposes.

It was not greenery, however, that appeared before us.

“Wow.” I couldn’t help but exclaim.

“That is…” Luda gasped as well.

Like an orchard of cherry blossoms that bloomed overnight in the centre of the underwater city, numerous pink-coloured flora dyed Becavry Green in their colour. Some of them trees, some smaller bushes or shrubs, even a few specimens of preserved coral; all adorning different shades of the same colour.

“Right, the Blush Flower Festival.”

In front of us, Carthena muttered, finally recalling what she remembered about the park.

“What’s it about?” Hearing her words, I asked her about it.

“It’s as you see: A special exhibition of flora and other organisms that are pink in colour.”

Bringing a hand to in thought.

“It’s been… About five days? Since the officiating ceremony. It’ll go on for a few more weeks, so you’re still early.” She reassured us.

“I see.” I nodded.

“Must be hard to align the blooming seasons of all these species.” Luda observed.

The Mun Shaen shrugged, indicating that she didn’t know how they did it either.

“Come. We’ll find a bench inside and I’ll show you my work.”

Once the traffic lights changed, we crossed the motorway adjacent to the park and reached its northeast entrance.

The gates and surrounding fences showed a few signs of wear, but they easily opened when Carthena pushed on them.

I closed the gate behind us after we entered the park, then we walked along the pathway trying to find a bench to sit on. Seemingly preferring the shade of trees despite the night, we walked from an open corner of the park to one where more trees grew.

Along the way, I felt that the air was cleaner and warmer than the rest of the city. Carthena explained that while most of this was due to the natural ability of the trees, Becavry Green had also installed a system of air regulators to help the process along.

The pink exhibition trees meshing with the ‘regular’ green ones was a bit unsettling, but walking through the park and enjoying the nicer air, I could see why many people have taken their fancy to this place.

Even now, one or two people could be seen walking along the park’s other pathways.

As I took in the atmosphere around us,

“There’s one.”

Luda’s voice brought me back to my senses.

Seeing where she pointed to, I too could see the benches in front of us, planks of wood held up by metal frames, standing in pairs further down the road below a particularly tall tree.

The three of us hurried over to it, and I greeted an eyeless humanoid passerby walking in the opposite direction on the way there.

Reaching the place, Carthena sat on one bench while Luda took another. I caught a few breaths after we arrived, but nonetheless remained standing in front of them.

Looking around the place, it didn’t look like anyone else was coming around soon, and the location itself was further enough into the park to not attract anyone’s attention.

“Well then,” Carthena saw my enthusiasm and wasted no more time.

“Shall we take a look at your Accolade?”

Taking out the plastic container from her tote bag,

“Oh, right, it doesn’t go by that name anymore.” She grinned.

---

Wait, what?

Before I could process what Carthena just said, she opened the inventory window for the container and took out what looked like an oversized version of a garment bag, made out of a tough, opaque fabric material.

Then, laying it on the ground leaning on the rest of the bench beside her, she opened a flap in the middle, pulling the cover away to reveal the armament inside.

The venue of this disclosure was a bench in the middle of a garden right at the centre of the city at night, far from the grandeur of something like Isket’s Counsel Forge. However, the dimly lit lights from Mara Artemis’s cityscape added a different, more mysterious feeling to the entire occasion.

“…This is,”

I exclaimed.

“The architecture ended up quite different from before.”

Carthena commented.

“But I think it suits you.”

The armament that appeared before my eyes was almost unrecognizable, similar only in its size and overall form compared to the Accolade before.

“High-grade indeed,”

Luda acknowledged its new appearance.

“I could tell that this is on another level, even just by looking.”

What used to be a metallic coal-black structure was now covered in two grey-white plates, forming two separate halves instead of the multiple sections of the metal sheets before. The new plates were also made of something that wasn’t metal, reflecting the matte sheen of a bone or ceramic material instead.

Like smooth stone, the grey halves fit snugly against the darker, more familiar metal parts underneath.

“…Is that the Borejawn Enamel?” I asked.

“It’s made of it, yes.” Carthena nodded. “Go on, pick it up.”

“Right.”

I reached out to touch the charged shield, turning it around so that I could pick it up by the handle.

As soon as I lifted the hefty weapon off the ground, the energy channels that lined both the enamel and metal parts lit up, flashing red and blue before settling on a white glow.

The description for the weapon appeared in front of me, telling me exactly what it was that I am holding.

“Show us what the Ovation can do, while you’re at it.”

---

• Fahrenheit’s Ovation

“An augmented fortification that reins absolute temperatures under its rule, bearing the overbearing strength and the resolute courage of its progenitors.”

“Kinetic and energy blows actuate the potential of the Shaen’s lifeforce channels, allowing the armament to unleash scorching infernos and boreal glaciers with equal capacity.”

“The alchemic Nysertium compels every blow on the Ovation to ring a chord that suppresses those that dare oppose its might. Tempered by the renowned techniques of twin forgers, it allows the two lifeforce channels to exude their full potential without exhausting each other.”

“The liveliness in the Shaen’s blood stirs the Magna composites in their slumber, but they remain ever still, dormant.”

---

I repeated the shield’s new name in my mind.

“It’s called the Ovation?” Luda asked, going over to me to read the description as well.

“The Fahrenheit’s Ovation, to be exact.” I told her the full name.

“So the Ovation is still a good shorter name for it.”

As she read through the weapon’s description herself,

“You were right after all, Luda.”

I acknowledged the advice that she gave me, back in the diner in Caper Plateaus.

“About what was missing from the Accolade.”

“It wasn’t hard to guess.”

The person beside me ran her fingers along the shield’s lifeforce channels.

“With Li and Mun Shaen lifeforces involved, anyone would think the same.”

Yeah, I agreed with her words.

‘Scorching infernos and boreal glaciers’

…Taking after their contributors, the full form of my charged shield was its ability to reign over fire and ice.

I moved the Ovation around, feeling its weight and travel. Despite the added mass onto the shield, it didn’t feel any heavier than it did before. Whether that was because of the Shaen lifeforce channels or Carthena’s decision to trim some excess metal during the alchemy process, I didn’t know.

“Hmm.”

I searched around the handle with my hand.

Unlike the Accolade, there were no levers installed on the grip at all; neither the one to switch the shield to its axe form, nor the one to activate its energy channels.

The moment the intention to operate the weapon crossed my mind—

…!!

An image appeared in my mind. Resembling a spinning wheel, the circular form split into two halves, an icy blue colour on the left and a wild red to the right. In the centre of the circle, what looked like a sheathed dial needle laid straight, bearing upwards and right in the boundary between the two halves.

Is this…

At will, I could dismiss the wheel from my mind and recall it back into existence.

And then,

*VOOM*

The moment I tilted the needle a little to the right, the Ovation’s entire structure radiated a strong heat.

“Ah!”

“Hm.”

I recoiled away from the shield, while Luda took a few steps back in response. She was already a distance away from the shield, but the heat reached her all the same.

On the bench, Carthena flinched as well, but made no further reaction. As an alchemist, she must have gotten used to the heat from her forging.

Pulling the Ovation in the opposite direction from them,

I bore the needle on the spinning wheel fully to the left, as well as released it from its cover. The silver encased sheath parted to reveal a golden-white arrow, and—

*CRACKLE*

The structure of the Ovation morphed into a giant broadsword form, with a sharpened edge on the upper half of the blade. At the same time,

*CRACK* *RUMBLE*

A brutal, frigid cold assailed my senses.

Glacier ice spikes quickly formed on the length of the Ovation, and, unable to bear the sudden increase in weight made, my hand let go of the weapon and it fell onto the ground.

Before it could fall to the side, however, a throne of ice stalagmites have already formed on the pathway, rising up and holding it in place.

“KC.” Luda called out.

Incited by the incredibly cold Ovation, the glacier spikes propagated on the ground, spreading quickly outwards around the weapon. The three of us were quickly caught up in the affected area, and the temperature of the air around us sharply fell.

“KC!” She shivered, while Carthena moved to save her.

“…Right!”

Focusing on the wheel in my mind, I brought the arrow back to its resting position and sealed it with the cover again, returning it to its previous needle shape.

The Ovation immediately morphed back into its shield form, and the ice quickly sublimated away, letting it gently down on the ground and leaving only a few puddles of water around it.

“That was dangerous.” I sighed, reaching down to pick the weapon back up.

The shield scraped against the ground as I pulled, and the sound it made distorted my senses.

“Urgh.”

I groaned, hurriedly putting the Ovation back in my inventory. Even as the owner of the weapon, the stunning effect made me stagger.

Looking back, I could also see the other two brace through the effect.

As expected, being worked on by two Shaen alchemists in a row, the disorienting chord was stronger than ever.

As the effects of the sound subsided,

“You’ll be used to it now that you’ve heard the sound.”

Carthena sighed.

“…I guess I have to share some of the blame, telling you to test the Ovation out before explaining how it works.”

“At least everyone’s fine.” I hung my head down.

Even so…

I pieced together what the Mun Shaen said about the charged shield.

The name, in particular,

“Were you the one who named the Fahrenheit’s Ovation, Carthena?”

I asked.

I had earlier thought that the new name was automatically generated by the game system, but seeing her know what it was called, the idea sprang in my mind.

“Through the gaps Isket left in the Accolade,” She answered. “I could tell what kind of weapon it would become, one way or another.”

The Mun Shaen picked the cover for the Ovation up from the bench.

“All that’s left is to piece together a part of Human and Shaen history in one name.”

Still,

“The Eminent Borejawn Enamel was a surprise, though: It was the reason the Ovation’s cold energy could be this strong.”

The alchemist shrugged.

“Without it, the Mun Shaen lifeforce wouldn’t be strong enough to freeze air like it just did.”

“Freezing even air itself…” I trailed off.

“Is that the extent of the Shaen’s abilities…?” Luda mentioned, as she warmed herself back up.

“Which side is stronger now, Carthena? The cold or the heat?” I asked her.

“Both of them are equal, at this point. The Li lifeforce, by itself, is potent enough to match the level of the enhanced Mun channels… Given the kind of person it came from, you shouldn’t be surprised, really.”

“Ah, right.”

Carthena’s explanation nailed the question pretty much on the head. The traces of a living legend could be felt in the metaphorical pulse of the shield.

---

After things have settled,

“Thanks for taking the time to make this for us, Carthena.”

Luda bowed to the Mun Shaen ahead of me.

“…And for covering for me just now.”

“Thanks, Carthena.” I followed up.

“It’s a pleasure.” She answered. “So, you’re going to Kamag after this?”

I nodded in response. “After we finish our food here, that is.”

“We brought some food after selling our parts back in Bia Yingtal.”

“Alright.” Carthena affirmed.

However, her eyes remained on me with that unmistakable depth behind them.

“Heat and cold, Li and Mun.”

The Mun Shaen began.

“And then, the Magna. You are very fortunate to get your hands on something as symbolic as it is powerful, KC.”

She sighed. Looking towards another part of the park,

“…And what do you know, it just so happens to be during the Blush Flower Festival too.”

“What do you mean?”

How was the Ovation related to this festival?

“The festival showcases pink flora that is culturally significant to the races of the Frontier.”

Carthena explained.

“And the three highlights just so happen to be from the Human, Shaen, and Magna.”

Folding her arms,

“I don’t believe in coincidence, but you might want to look up what the three species are.”

Huh.

“I will.” I answered.

“The Magna are big on purity of heart and discipline; their trials aren't particularly challenging from what I hear, but you should be prepared just in case.”

Carthena smiled as she gave us her advice. Picking up her tote bag, she shoved the fabric cover inside it, along with the container.

As she walked back towards where we came from,

“And who knows… maybe the Ovation will be your greatest test, KC.”

Her last words left a deep impression on me.

---

With Carthena’s departure, the two of us were left alone.

“That was pretty ominous.” Luda commented.

“Either way, it's worth looking up the things she said.”

I shrugged.

“So, what now?”

Opening my navigation window, I looked around the park.

“Well, I think we should find somewhere to eat, for starters.”

There was a brightly-lit spot in the center of the park, where most of the festival exhibits were. Filtering through the leaves of all those plants, the lights that illuminated the place also took on a tint of pink.

“It's pretty dark in here so, let's go to the orchard, why don't we?”

“Sure.” She nodded.

Following the walkway we were on, the two of us headed for the center of the park.

Along the way, I asked Uzzu if it had any information about the plants Carthena has just said.

“There are many pink flowers that are symbolic to the Frontier, Astronaut, whether it be Human, Shaen or Magna.”

It replied.

“Detailing all of them would be beyond my capabilities.”

“Ah, right. Thanks anyway.” I dismissed it.

Looks like we'll have to look for it the hard way; By reading the exhibition comments. I don't believe that the system’s description will tell us the cultural significance of those flowers, so just seeing them up close wouldn’t do the trick.

The path of the walkway in front of us opened up to an area of pavement, rows of trees lining up on both sides of a wide road.

It didn’t take long before I realized how familiar the flowering trees were.

“Is that…?” I turned to Luda.

“Those are cherry blossoms, KC!” She affirmed.

Indeed, the dozens of spread-out trees decorating both sides of the central wide road in Becavry Green were cherry blossoms.

“Wow, so they do have cherry blossoms here.”

I took a deep breath, taking in the view.

Anyone who missed the blooming season in real life, or just wanted to see the flowers, can just come and see them here.

I guess Carthena was right when she said that the plants were culturally significant.

How are they blooming right now?

Are there seasons on this planet, or did the regulators control the temperature to make them think it's spring? Aligning the flowering seasons of all these plants must be difficult, not including the various climates they have to make to ensure that the plants were all healthy.

*rumble*

Well, that's none of my concern anyway.

More important than that,

“There's a seat over there, KC.”

Luda pointed to a couple of benches nearby, by the base of one of the trees. They were the same type as the one we used before.

Without delay, we moved over to the nearest bench and sat down on it.

“Now,”

Opening my inventory window and taking out all the food I stored in it.

“Show me the good stuff, baby.”

Setting down the paper bag containing the fried Hama-Jonns and the wrap of prawn and squid skewers, I placed the plastic bowl on my lap and opened the cover.

Beside me, Luda was already unwrapping her own skewers from their cover, taking out one of them and biting into it.

“Yumm~” Seeing her press her eyes closed, I could tell that she was enjoying the taste of grilled prawns and squid in .

“The inventory space does a good job of keeping things warm, doesn't it?”

I scooped up a spoonful of brothed fishcake from the bowl and gulped it down my mouth.

Also, before I forget,

“Here,”

I gave the second spoon from the fishcake bowl to her.

“Right, bring it over here, KC.”

Halfway done with her first skewer, Luda took the spoon and pointed it towards the bowl on my lap.

I gave it to her, reached for the paper bag and opened it.

“Woo~” Cheering to myself, I took out a piece of battered Hama-Jonn from the bag.

As expected, the anemone-like creature was similar in shape to the Lesser Pocka-Jonn. It was a bit difficult to see through all the golden flour, but I could tell that the Hama-Jonn had a blue colored body, with tips ending in orange.

I flipped the piece over to examine it for a few seconds, before popping the entire thing into my mouth.

The battered Hama-Jonn had the chewy, springy texture of squid, but hidden inside the meat was a savoury texture that I couldn’t quite explain… There’s even a hint of sushi vinegar, I think? Though it probably came from the batter inside.

“Hmm… It’s good.” I said to myself.

As I helped myself to the rest of the paper bag’s contents, I stole a few glances at Luda to the side.

“Phew~”

Helping herself to heaps of warm broth, she scoffed on her grilled skewers in between scoops of the fishcake bowl.

Oh, I should eat mine too, before it gets cold.

My skewers were still in the wrap, untouched after I laid it down on the bench.

Pulling out a stick of squid and prawn from the wrap, I bit off a piece of it and chewed. It tasted pretty nice, much like the ones I had in real life. Whether the seafood were of familiar species or ones that are fictional, I didn't bother finding out.

Like this, the two of us spent a few minutes in silence enjoying the food. I didn't expect that this would fill us up so much, but it seems like it would tide us over until the end of the day.

Amidst the tranquil quietness,

“Is there anything in particular you wanted to do on Kamag, Luda?”

I asked the person beside me.

“Other than looking for ideas to play the game, like you said before.”

She spent the next few seconds chewing the seafood in , before swallowing.

Then,

“Disciplined warriors or not, the Magna are still mechanical lifeforms, aren't they?”

Luda began.

“I'm interested in expanding the repertoire of my energy transport system. I already have the idea of installing cold power generators on my ship, and stuff like that, but I can't help thinking that the Magna will give me new ideas; new insights on the whole energy thing.”

Opening a window to check the status of her energy transporter system,

“If the Magna don't have what I need, I'll just look somewhere else.” She shrugged. “The Gray, maybe? I hear their technology is quite advanced as well.”

Staring at her, I was relieved to know that Luda hadn’t chosen to tag along with me just to help me out.

At least I'm not really imposing on her, I guess?

“And that's not on your Path, huh?” I pointed out.

“Nope,” she shook her head. “Paths are only given by specific individuals, after all; they don't reflect your personal goals.”

“Oh, you're right.”

I recalled how Dawon and I had Paths when We check our statuses back on Daptel, while Luda didn't.

“Oh well,” I said. “I'll help you out whenever you need.”

I look forward to it, she nodded with a smile. It's only fair, given how much she has done for me already.

With nothing else to say about the topic, the two of us returned to eating our food in silence.

Which reminds me,

I pulled out my own system window and checked my status.

==

Name: KC Title: [No Title]

Prestige:

Industrion - 6 Communete - 28

Academium - 16 Artistice - 11

Path: Body of Magna, Blood of Shaen (1/2)

==

Despite not being in contact with as much people as on Udepra, looks like I still made progress in a few areas.

As for the Path, I have a good feeling that I'll be able to finish it before Day 3 is over… not accounting for any surprises on the way, of course.

I let out a sigh.

We'll just have to see when we get there.

---

“Mmm.”

I wiped the remaining food from my lips.

Looking beside me, it looks like Luda was done eating her food too.

Feeling my body a little bit warmer than it was before, I savoured the coziness as I looked around the area.

As expected, the largest trees here in the exhibit were the cherry blossoms. However, interlaced between them were other species of pink plants, none of which were familiar to me. Stood above stone pedestals dedicated to them, they exuded a feeling that was much different from the beautiful cherry blossoms we were used to.

Altogether, the main exhibit occupied the central region of Becavry Green. The regulator systems installed made the air feel crisp and gentle, like the one you’d find on a clear, dust-free night.

“Should we get to it, then?”

Luda hopped off the bench, disposing the empty food containers and plastic spoons into a nearby trash can.

Stretching her body, she sprang around among the plants dyed pink.

…

The entire park enveloped Luda’s figure in a world of pastel, too beautiful to be true.

I stared at her speechless, forgetting even to gasp for air.

“KC?” She turned back to me.

“Oh, no, it's fine.” I answered. Looking at the trash on my lap, “I'll catch up with you after.”

“Sure.” She nodded.

I took care of my part of the cleanup, then turned back to join up with her.

However, met with the scenery in front of me,

“…”

I activated the camera plugin for my comms system. Holding the lens window up to my eye level, I made use of the best photo opportunity I have ever got so far in this game.

Within the holographic viewfinder of the camera window in front of my face, Luda spun around in the paved area under the warm lights of the park, filtered a gentle, coral pink through the cherry blossoms. Her petite silhouette set against the dreamy backdrop of the flower orchard, a charming subject against an alluring background.

What I witnessed was nothing short of a breathtaking spectacle, beyond anything I could describe.

I snapped out of the trance and, ascertaining the composition in the camera frame, captured a few shots of the ephemeral scene that played out in front of my eyes.

Then, selecting the couple of photos I just took,

…

You: [8 pics posted]

You: photo by KC

It didn’t take much time before the group responded to my message. The first few ones were,

Seola:

Seola: ❤💞💖❣💓💕

Exy: hq pls masternim

You: …I'll need a better camera for that.

Either way, it looks like Seola’s back in the chat.

Scrolling through the previous messages, she and Soobin have already been active in the chat for some time now. They must be done with whatever they've been doing in the Solar system, it seems.

The questions will have to wait, though; I still have Carthena’s advice to follow before I forget.

Putting the chat window away, I joined back up with Luda. She was also typing in the chat window, but seeing me approach, she dismissed it and turned to me.

“The photos were beautiful, KC.”

She commented, before pointing at something further down the paved road.

“I think there's a plaque over there for the cherry blossoms’ description. Let's check it out.”

The two of us walked in the direction she indicated.

“Funny for us Humans to be looking at the cultural significance for one of our own trees, huh?” I pointed out.

“This is the future, after all.” Luda shrugged. “Maybe something happened to us here, and our perception of the cherry blossoms changed in response to it?”

Makes sense, I nodded.

Like she said, there was a brown plaque set atop two supports appeared, set in front of a bunch of smaller, younger cherry blossom trees.

We approached the plaque and went through what was written on it, skipping the parts that were irrelevant to us. Ignoring the description about its biology and ecology,

“Here it is.”

Under the cultural significance section, we read the text written on the board.

“In a significant part of Human culture, the cherry blossom signifies the arrival of spring with its rich and intense, yet short-lived blooms.”

“The period of time that accompanies the blossoming of the cherry blossom also brings with it the symbolism of the end of a chapter of life, and the beginning of the next; signifying the transience of life for all that is living.”

The end and the beginning, huh.

Either way, it didn't look like the knowledge written in the plaque was much different from what we knew.

Looking further down the paved walkway, there was another plaque, standing opposite a cluster of smaller bristly plants. Resembling short pine trees, these purplish-pink plants had leaves which all pointed up towards the sky, giving them a dignified look.

Also, In an expanse located at the end of the road, a pink rocky growth occupied the center of a circular courtyard. In front of it stood the third plaque.

“Those must be the other two, Luda.” I pointed in their direction.

“What, should we check each of them separately, is what you're suggesting?”

She raised her eyebrows at me.

“Just relax, KC. I know there isn't a lot of time left in today's session, but we should take it slow every once in a while.”

“Ah,”

I realized that I was in a hurry to find out what Carthena was talking about, so that I could get to Kamag as soon as possible.

“I guess you're right.” I admitted.

“We'll go over and read the one by the small pine trees next.”

As we approached them, I could see their intense pink colour, present on both the leaves and even the bark, burning into my vision. Unlike the delicate cherry blossoms, this was a species not afraid to make a statement.

Let’s see…

“Skyward’s Return”

“An incredibly important species of plant to the Magna’s ceremonial rites, their blooming hails the season of Proving, where hopeful disciples who have come of age embark on their penultimate journey, a final test to prove all that they have learned.”

“Before the disciple’s embarkation, their people will harvest a strong, healthy leaf from the Return and present it to them. Once the Proving for the disciple is complete, they will return to the tree from which this leaf came, and bury it under the soil by the base of the tree, indicating their completion of the Proving and their successful return.”

“The position of the Skyward’s Return as a promise of the disciple to return safely to their people symbolizes the sanctity of a person's life to themselves and those who care for them.”

The sanctity of life…

“Looks like I'm starting to get this.”

Luda said, pouting her lips the way she usually did.

Without lingering around, we went over to the expanse at the end of the walkway where the rocky growth was.

The circular courtyard was large, comparable to the natural formation back at the coral forest valley.

Hmm?

On a closer look, there seems to be a film of moisture on the surface of the rocky growth. Underneath, the many little soft, flower-like buds gently pulsed like beating hearts.

“Are these flowers or coral?” I questioned.

Luda peered over to look at the growth formation, and then turned back to me.

“I can’t tell, but at least they're pretty and fit the theme of the festival.”

I guess.

It would be presumptuous of me to argue with the organizers over what is or isn't a flower. They would know better than me anyway.

Now,

“Heartening Loella”

My eyes laid on the plaque in front of us.

However,

“Is there no section on cultural significance on this text? Did we get the right species?”

Other than morphology and habitat information, there was little in the way of imagery in the description of this floral lifeform.

A few seconds later,

“Here it is,” Luda pointed at the second paragraph of the botany section.

“A carpeting plant which blooms over Nadeum and Udepra’s dead coral fields, the Heartening Loella is a proof of there being a time and place for everything, even life.”

As expected, another life metaphor.

“Transience, sanctity, time and place…” Luda pondered out loud.

From all those descriptions, compared against the name of my Path, I could only think of one thing.

“Uzzu?” I called out.

WJSN’s characteristic mascot appeared out of thin air, ready to answer our questions.

“What is the defining trait of the Magna’s assembly?” I asked it.

As if it was common knowledge, Uzzu answered me without delay.

“Like all mechanical lifeforms, a significant part of the Magna’s assembly techniques involves parts and materials that make up their own bodies.”

Recalling what Guinness said to us after Thohiri, I nodded along.

Then, the next few words said revealed an important fact of the mechanical race that I didn’t know before, yet had suspected ever since I saw my Path for the first time.

Without as much a buildup, the mascot continued.

“Unlike the others, however, the Magna is the only major race in the Frontier who crafts living technology, Astronaut.”

---

“Living technology…” Luda repeated Uzzu’s words.

“Every artifact and armament assembled by the Magna will no longer be treated as tools or devices; rather, as companions, partners, by their users.”

The mascot continued.

“The living nature of this newly created life also means that they will be exposed to the laws of life in this universe. Needs, emotions, adaptation and learning… even death.”

“Then,” I said.

“The lifespans of a living technology, Magna-crafted or otherwise, will depend on the nature, form and grade of the artifact itself. Nonetheless, whether it be the passing of the user or the tech which comes first, both sides must prepare for the eventual parting that death brings.”

With those words, Uzzu concluded its explanation.

The impact of what it said lingered heavy on us, however.

Life and death, huh.

Living weapons were the stuff of futuristic science fiction, and fantasy stories. Even I had imagined what it was like to wield one before.

Still, the particular interpretation of the idea in this game, which accounted for the full implications of life to come with it, was not something I was prepared for.

“Thanks, Uzzu.” I dismissed the guide interface.

As it disappeared into thin air,

“So Carthena was telling you to be ready for the responsibility for the new life you'll bring into this world, huh?”

Luda figured her words out.

“Probably.” I answered.

The scenario of the Fahrenheit’s Ovation coming to life ran through my mind. Being made of Shaen lifeforce and Magna composites, there's a good chance that it will have a lifespan similar to that of the two races; a really long one.

Still,

“Whatever anyone else says, our progress will reset after Day 3, right?”

I sighed.

“I don't think we should think too much about it, really. HF’s still just a game, after all.”

I faced Luda.

“No point burdening ourselves with it.”

Hearing my words, Luda’s expression softened into a gentle smile.

“If you say so, KC.”

As we retraced our steps through the main road of the park, I took one last look at my inventory window.

The Ovation was there in one part of the storage space, laying silent, the glow on its energy channels pulsating dim.

A strange emotion surfaced in my heart.

---

Done with our food and looking at the highlights of the festival, we decided there was nothing left to do here in Becavry Green, and Mara Artemis as a whole.

After a bit of discussion, we quickly settled on returning to the port to leave the planet of Nadeum. I offered to be the one doing the navigation this time; a proposal Luda agreed to without question, unlike the ones fans always send her on the fancafe.

However, just as we passed through the northeast entrance of the park,

“Oh, looks like Dawon’s calling us.”

Luda’s communication system rang.

Accepting the request,

“Hey.”

A soft voice could be heard from the window that appeared in front of her. and on it was Dawon’s face; it was a video call.

“Hey,” Luda answered. “What's up?”

“Oh, nothing really. I was just wondering if you’re still in Nadeum.”

The person on the other side of the call mused.

“You can come and stay over at my place, if you don't have any plans for the rest of the day.”

Tim has gone back to his own place, so it'll just be us, she proposed.

Seeing Luda turn to look at me,

“Is KC there? He can join us too.” Dawon compromised.

“Thanks for the offer,”

I went over next to Luda and showed my face in the video call.

“I would like to check out where you live, but I have somewhere to go.”

“No problem, KC.” Inside the video call, she reassured me.

I could see that Dawon was in a bedroom, at her own place like she said. The wall and ceiling behind her were a dark blue, little in the way of interior lighting. Considering the time of day, it was no surprise that it was dark.

“How about you?” I asked Luda. “You can stay over at her place, and we’ll meet back up on Kamag on Day 3.”

“It's fine, KC. I'll go with you.” She answered.

Turning to the window,

“Sorry about this, Dawon.” She apologized to Dawon.

“It's okay.”

The person in the window replied.

“I'm just glad you two are doing fine.”

“As healthy as ever. Thanks for worrying about us.”

The three of us talked for a bit longer before ending the call.

After Luda dismissed the call window, we resumed our journey back to the port of Mara Artemis.

On the way, before we crossed the highway,

“Hmm?”

I saw an object hanging from a nearby tree at the edge of the park.

“Wait, Luda.” I called out to her.

“What is it?” She asked.

Walking over until I was right under the tree, I could see that the object was a floating balloon, the string attached to it stuck on one of the branches of the tree.

“Oh, a balloon.”

Luda stated, as she caught up with me.

“The entire city is within a dome, right?”

“Yup.” I responded. “That's why I'm thinking of getting the balloon down.”

I heard before that the membrane dome was an energy barrier, so it would pop the balloon as soon as it came into contact with it.

Still, the resulting debris would fall back somewhere on the city as trash.

“What are you going to do, KC? Use the jet module to get within reach?”

“Nah, I’m thinking of trying out a simpler way.” I reached into my inventory.

*CLACK* *CLACK*

I pulled out a spider-like construct out of it, made out of stone and metal. It was the living dart that I made back during our fight.

“Can you get that down for me?” I gave out my order, pointing to the balloon on the tree.

The construct made a few more clicks, before scurrying towards the tree and climbing up on it.

“Ooh.” Luda voiced her impression, seeing it nimbly make its way up towards the balloon and untying the string from the tree.

For something that is operated entirely by bacteria, these things are pretty smart.

Assaudy and his team must have put a lot of work into developing the solution.

Looping the string around its body, the spider like construct carried the balloon over to the end of a branch, right above where we were. At my signal, it jumped all the way down to the ground.

*THUD*

A few fragments of stone chipped away from its legs, but the construct was otherwise fine.

“Good work.” Taking off the balloon from its body, I complimented the minion.

“Are you bringing the balloon with you?” While reaching down to pat the lifeform on the head, Luda asked me. “I don't see how it would be useful in Kamag, personally.”

“No way, Luda. I'm not going to steal from someone even if they're not here.”

I approached the fences surrounding the park and tied the string attached to the balloon on one of its pickets.

“Hopefully the person who this belong to will come by again, tomorrow.”

The pedestrian traffic turned green just as we were done, so the two of us crossed the road and made our way back to the plaza.

We were planning to use the underground transit network to get back to the port, and the nearest station just so happens to be the one we used before.

“It's the East Spaceship Port, isn't it?”

Along the way I ascertained whether or not our destination was correct with Luda.

Pulling her eyes away from the neon sign on the building opposite the road, she nodded.

“Got it, looks like we'll have to do one line change in the transit network.”

I indicated on the map in the window.

“Sure, won’t be a problem.” she shrugged it off.

As we walked through the city blocks and crossed its roads, I can't help but look at the sky... Or rather, the ceiling of the dome that loomed above the entire cityscape.

Earlier today, it was evening in Meritus Selatan; now, it's probably past midnight in Mara Artemis. I had no idea how many hours there are in a day on this planet, but more than that…

What happens to the cities during the day?

Will the domes light up to fake the brightness of daylight? Or will the cities stay in permanent darkness, only the clock telling them which part of the day it is?

Either way, as much as I was curious about this, I wasn't going to stay any longer on Nadeum just to find out. The trials of the Magna kept being on my mind, so I couldn’t focus on anything else.

We stayed on our course and ended up back in the plaza before long. Then, the rest of the journey was as per the usual: Going down the stairs into the station terminal, paying our fares, waiting for the next train, riding and changing lines… Already used to commuting like this in real life, I stopped paying attention to the place after a few moments.

On the carriage for the second line,

“So, back to space after this.”

I commented.

“It's still amazing to me how we can be riding a train like this in one moment, and then flying into outer space in our ships the next.”

Resting her back on the walls of the carriage,

“Well, when the space age eventually comes for us in real life, maybe it’ll be as simple as this, maybe it won't; who knows?”

Luda replied. Her eyes still closed in rest,

“Still, I can't wait to leave the ocean. Being down here for so long makes me miss the sky pretty quickly.”

Yup, I agreed. For all the lights and comfort Mara Artemis had to offer, I'm still a little bothered with being this deep in the ocean.

My wandering eyes laid on a banner on the ceiling of the carriage opposite my seat. On the decorative canvas, the rainbow fish attraction was being advertised.

Oh right, the one that tour guide suggested to me earlier today.

It was unfortunate that many of the tourism facilities were closed by the time we came back from our hunt. Maybe that will have to be for another day.

So much to do and so much to see, just that I didn't have all the time in the world.

---

After a few minutes, our train reached the station located nearby the port. We headed inside without delay and went to handle the emigration process, without hanging around in the departure area for too long.

Most of the paperwork was done without a hitch. However,

“Are you going to be fine with your shield?” The officer handling my details asked.

“What?” I did a double take. “…Oh!”

Looking at my status window, I could see that my Hazard Shield was still in bad condition. The core wasn't as critically damaged as it was on Udepra, but it still needed looking at. The internal armour could be in better shape as well.

“Thanks for telling me,” I answered. “I think I should be able to do something about it before taking off.”

The material costs for repairing both of them were on the hefty side, but with the stuff I hoarded it should be possible.

Done with the immigration procedure, Luda and I met back up and walked down the stairs together.

“Are your shields fine, Luda?” I asked.

“Did your officer tell you too?” She raised her eyebrows in surprise.

“Yep, I'll have to repair it once I'm back on the ship.”

“Ow, tough luck. My core was fine for the most part, so a few touch-ups here and there should do the trick.”

The stairs ended in the doors to the hangar.

Now that we’re here, all that's left is to find our own ships. The platforms responsible for bringing the spaceships into the port from the ocean depths outside were still zooming around, so I had to be careful on the way to where my ship was parked.

“See you in space, KC.”

“Alright.”

We split up to look for our own rides.

It’s quite packed.

It seems like a lot of visitors are staying over for the night.

After squeezing my way through a few spacecrafts,

“There it is.”

I saw the Wandering 14 stationed on top of the platform that designated my assigned parking spot.

Approaching it, I climbed up the wing and opened the hatch located just above it. Inhaling the familiar air inside, I sighed, then entered my ship after so long.

Inside, I pulled out the spacesuit from my inventory and threw it in the washing machine again, just like in Day 1.

Then, glancing over my inventory one last time, I moved over to the cockpit and sat on the pilot seat.

Immediately,

‘Your spaceship is now ready to depart. Please indicate that you are ready, Pilot, otherwise defer your turn to another ship.’

A notification popped up on my HUD.

Ooh, looks like I got lucky this time.

“I'm ready.” I answered, placing my hands on the console.

‘Approval received. Please stand by while our pathrunners guide your ship to the designated take-off course.’

Right after, the platform which held the Wandering 14 in place began to move, carrying me past the other parked ships and towards the gates at the end of the hangar.

The gates parted to reveal the airlock chamber from before. As soon as my ship entered, the gates closed and seawater began filling up the chamber again, pressurizing it to match the environment of the ocean depths outside.

A few moments passed, and the walls of the chamber opposite the gates finally opened up, revealing the underwater expanse that was Nadeum’s boundless ocean in front of me.

I waited a few seconds, then,

*VOOM*

I engaged the ers of the Wandering 14 and left the East Spaceship Port of Mara Artemis.

Unlike the landing guidance last time, there was no virtual runway to guide me out of the ocean. However, there were still virtual warnings to prevent my ship from crashing into the dome of the city or any of its supporting structures.

“Here we go.”

I pulled my ship away from Mara Artemis and pointed it upwards. After all, where else do you go if you want to go to space?

The autopilot system should handle the rest of the ascent just fine, So I took the time to repair my Hazard Shield and internal armor.

The nice thing about repairing or maintaining stuff in the inventory is that most of the work is done by the system, so I don't have to do a lot of delicate work with the all-purpose tool.

After consuming several power cells and a few essential materials, both pieces of my defensive technology were back to working condition.

I returned my attention to the cockpit window, just in time for the surface of the ocean to come into view.

Here it comes…!

*SPLASH*

With a gush of seawater, the Wandering 14 burst forth from Nadeum’s unified ocean and headed straight for the sky.

“Woo~” I shouted to myself.

A few seconds lapsed as my spaceship soared through the clear starlit night, then,

“Oh, what’s up, Luda?”

I answered the transmission request on the control board.

“Kamag is in Malia, right?” She asked.

“Wait, let me look it up.” I replied. The names of the planets and star systems don't really stay in my mind, so I can't pair them up so easily.

“Nah, it’s fine, KC.”

I could hear a smile from the voice on the other side of the transmission channel.

“I still remember Uzzu’s answer to your question in chat, back in Day 1. That time when you tried to act cool, remember?”

“Oh, that one.” I recalled. “Wait, how did you know that I was trying to act cool?”

“Eunseo and Yeoreum told me.” Luda giggled.

“Those two…!” I joked.

After a while, Luda’s Observant 06 also joined back up with me in the skies, trailing behind my ship.

“So the Gate space station we’ll be using is Masuria.”

She explained.

“It shouldn't take too long to get there, since it's orbiting this planet.”

“That's convenient.” I answered. Browsing through the Nexus star map, “I’ll look for the coordinates for Kamag, if you haven't already.”

“Please do, that’ll save us time.” She replied.

Setting the navigation system on the Wandering 14 to head for Masuria, I pored over the star map and copied the spatial coordinates for the destination planet in Malia to a note-taking window.

The star system had six planets, and I've been to two of them: Chao and Nillon. With Kamag next on the list, Malia looks like it'll be the system I’m most familiar with in the game, apart from the solar system of course.

Looking at the four star systems that made up the Frontier,

The world's quite small, isn't it? At least, where planet quantity and diversity was concerned.

Nine in the solar system, three here on Shalim, six on Malia, and five in Turi-Nur; 23 planets in total.

Well, exploring even one planet will take forever, anyway.

Speaking of which, I bought out the chat window and browsed to a group I haven't been active in for some time.

---

[The Icy Four]

You: Evening.

Chengxiao: Evening KC 👋

Meiqi: Are you done with your thing? 👀

You: Yeah, we’re going to a Gate space station now, to warp over to Kamag.

You: How are you holding up over there?

Chengxiao: We're pretty much done, for the most part.

Chengxiao: The trials weren't that difficult, as long as you don't let your guard down.

Meiqi: It took a while for her, but even Eunseo managed to complete them in the end 😂

Yeoreum: lol 😆

You: mood 😩

You: How about you, Yeoreum? Is your group doing fine?

Yeoreum: We’re okay, KC.

Yeoreum: We managed to leave Hub Nimbus-HA2 and warp to Earth, under Yeonjung’s recommendation.

Yeoreum: It turns out that the cylinder I got from Nillon is an encrypted currency vault, belonging to a merchant kingpin who passed away a long time ago.

You: Wow 😲 And then?

Yeoreum: We looked around for anyone who might know the person.

Yeoreum: We were able to get in contact with their family, which was great because they weren't doing so well after the trade fell apart.

Meiqi: Just in time 👍

Meiqi: Did you meet up with them?

Yeoreum: Dayoung’s talking to them now. We’re on… Iapetus, I think. Saturn’s moon.

You: Nice one 👍

You: If it was me, I will still be worried about that mobster guy who's been chasing you. I don't think the family can protect themselves from him.

Chengxiao: I don't think so, KC. From what Yeoreum said, the mobster doesn't look like a huge criminal mastermind, to have to chase them down himself on Nillon’s streets.

Chengxiao: He's probably just a thug looking to strike gold.

Yeoreum: Hopefully.

That should settle it, I think.

It's not like she and the rest of the ‘99 line were unarmed. They should be able to look after themselves.

At this time, Masuria appeared above Nadeum’s curvature in the distance, a diminutive artificial structure compared to the large blue planet it orbited.

I put the chat window away and spoke into the transmission channel.

“Looks like we're here.” Luda stated.

“Yeah.” I answered. “Guess we’re not stopping by the space station, are we?”

“We are already in the night phase of Day 2.” She pointed out. “I don't think it's wise to waste time stopping by somewhere, do you?”

“No, you're right.” I admitted.

As we approached the space station, I could see that the entire structure is more detail.

The various metropolitan cities, and even parts of the ground that was not covered in soil, were all painted in varying shades of pink and purple. The choice of colours, which was rather bold in my opinion, made the entire colony look like a world of quartz.

Bona did wonder where You, You, You would be played, didn’t she?

I guess that would be a good candidate for the place.

Snapping a picture of Masuria with the capture window, I sent the screenshot to the group chat.

…

You: [1 pic posted]

You: ‘Purple City’

Xuanyi: That’s a nice pic, KC.

Dawon: That’s on Nadeum, isn’t it?

You: Yep, The Gate space station Masuria.

You: Looks like a place where they would play You x3, doesn’t it?

Yeonjung: You’re right. Maybe I should go there sometime.

Yeoreum: After we’re done with this, Yeonjung.

Yeonjung: 👌

Bona: Oh, that looks neat.

Bona: You should see the transistor cities here too, KC 👀 They might suit your taste.

Oh?

The transistor cities? Were Bona and Xuanyi already done with their forest ruins thing as well?

You: Sure thing 👌

“Don't forget to change your destination to the portal, KC.”

Luda’s reminder brought me back to my senses. Bringing my attention back to the HUD, I looked for the portal this space station hosted.

After a closer look,

There it is.

The rays of the portal could be seen from behind the superstructure holding up the space station. In front of the wormhole, stabilized by structures identical to that of the other portals, dim trails of light could be seen, corresponding to the spaceships waiting for their turn to warp.

“And… set.”

My ship navigation locked onto the rift in space.

“Please approach the end of the line, explorer. You will be queued after you arrive.”

Immediately, a voice appeared, corresponding to the portal control board of the Gate Space Station. The Wandering 14’s navigation system locking onto the wormhole must have alerted them to my intention to travel through it.

“Got it.” I replied.

Making a gentle arc around Masuria, I brought the ship behind the furthest queued ship in the line and joined the waiting list. For a star system that only had three planets, interstellar traffic seemed pretty high.

The Observant 06 joined me soon after, and I saw the manta ray shaped ship park up behind me.

“You've got the destination coordinates ready?” Luda asked through the transmission channel.

“Yep.” I went over the note I just saved.

“Then all we have to do is wait.” She said.

---

The transmission channel remained open after that exchange, but none of us said anything as we went back to doing our own stuff, waiting for our turn to warp.

Moving over to the weaponry room, I went into my inventory space and pulled out the Ovation from it. At once, the control wheel appeared in my mind again.

Dismissing the dial, I brought down the shield onto the floor and sat next to it. Brushing my fingers over the smooth grey enamel halves and the cold metal structures underneath, I examined the entire armament closely.

Hard to believe that Carthena designed this all by herself.

Granted, she was an NPC, and her backstory was that of a genius Mun Shaen alchemist, if not a widely recognised one.

“And you'll be alive after your final upgrade on Kamag…”

The strange emotion appeared once again.

I found that I was more invested in this Path than I thought I would be. It was awesome getting a stronger and cooler weapon at every step, but there was something else as well.

I recalled the golem I used on Mavacena, as well as the living darts that helped us against the Crowncelp and its minions.

Those were technically living weapons too… so why was this different?

I couldn't find an answer after several minutes thinking about it, so I decided that I would leave it to sort itself out in due time.

---

By the time the blank-faced person appeared on the HUD of my ship, asking for the destination of our warp with their neutral voice, I was already back at the pilot seat ready to answer them.

“These coordinates, please.”

I clicked on the attachment option in the call window and sent the numbers to them. As the voice muttered out the numbers they received,

“Also, the ship behind me is together with me as well,” I mentioned.

“Yes, she told us that as well.” They replied.

Huh.

I guess there must be more than one person handling the control board at any one time.

A few seconds passed in silence as the authority person processed the coordinates I gave them.

“Kamag, in Malia.” They stated. “Have you done the trials required for entry to the cities, explorer?”

“I haven't.” I answered. “I'm going there now to participate in those trials.”

“Very well.”

The person responded.

“Everyone should pay a visit to Kamag or Sadus once in their lifetime.”

They continued.

“While the trials the Magna hold are designed for themselves and the people who deal with them, I think it would benefit anyone willing to participate, especially those looking to learn about themselves.”

It was strange as that an authority person would ramble this much with me, but since it was informative, I did not think much about it.

Soon after,

“That will be all, explorer. Activate your warp drives towards the portal.”

The blank-faced person finished checking my ship.

“Safe travels.”

Leaving me those last words, they disappeared from my ship’s HUD.

Phew.

These kinds of security checks always made me nervous.

“I'm done over here, KC.”

Luda’s voice came through the transmission channel a second after.

“Me too.” I recomposed myself.

“Ready, Luda?”

“After you.” She replied.

“Alright.”

I drew in a breath.

“Let’s go.”

I pointed my spaceship torch the portal, then floored the pedal on the warp drive.

The portal’s colours brightened and the entire world began to stretch and thread, as we warped ourselves out of the Shalim system.